APD Arrests Suspect in Murder of UNM Baseball Player

APD detectives arrested the suspect in the shooting death of UNM baseball player Jackson Weller.

Detectives located Darian Bashir at an apartment in the Northeast Heights and took him into custody after midnight. He was arrested without incident.

“Our homicide detectives and investigators worked tirelessly during the past week to identify and build a case against this violent offender,” APD Chief Mike Geier said. “This was a complex case that involved many witnesses. I appreciate the thorough job detectives did to resolve the case and bring justice to Jackson’s family and friends.”

Prior to the May 5 homicide, Bashir was arrested and charged for his role in a shooting on Feb. 12, 2019. In that incident, shots were fired from a vehicle and narrowly missed APD officers who were in the vicinity. During their arrest, a juvenile in the vehicle said the group was involved in a “gang beef.” Police discovered three firearms in the car, one of which was stolen, along with numerous firearm magazines, casings, a pound of marijuana, ¼ ounce of heroin and a digital scale.

Mayor Keller and Chief Geier highlighted that gang-related shooting during a news conference in April to unveil an effort to fight gun violence in Albuquerque.

“It’s tragic that an innocent victim like Jackson Weller was gunned down by an offender who was recently accused of shooting at police officers,” Mayor Keller said. “Gun violence is pervasive throughout the country, including right here in Albuquerque. We have to show resolve and commit to a multi-pronged approach to ending gun violence.”